title: [Examination of clinical presentation in terminal-phase lung cancer patients at a single palliative care unit].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical presentation of lung cancer patients at our palliative care unit (PCU).
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the clinical presentation of lung cancer patients at our PCU and compared it with the clinical presentation of patients with malignant tumors besides those indicative of lung cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PCU occupancy ratio of lung cancer patients to inpatients was 24%, which was dependent on the type of carcinoma. Lung cancer patients in need of oxygen inhalation and/or terminal sedation were more in number than those with other types of malignant tumors. On the other hand, few patients needed treatment. Dyspnea is the major reason for the terminal sedation of lung cancer patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe dyspnea appeared to be the typical clinical presentation of terminal-phase lung cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Palliative Care, Kyoto Min-iren Chuo Hospital.
authors.forename: Takatoyo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kambayashi
authors.forename: Hironobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakatsukasa
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawashima
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care; D013727:Terminal Care